Bord Failte said it had been allocated £27.85 million. The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid, said the Estimates, together with £5 million of supplementary funding, would result in an increase of some 20 per cent in the tourist board's current budget.
The allocation for the Department is £83.5 million, down 4 per cent on the expected cost for 1997. Estimated current spending is down 7 per cent at £76.35 million, with a 3 per cent fall in administration costs.